WAIAPU LETTER.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5574, 20 September 1889, Page 3

WAIAPU LETTER.

[FROM OUU OWN COKRESI'ONDI.NT-J September 10. Although throughout all the past winter we have had a prett :\ regular succession ot weekly floods, still on the Oth and ,th insfc. we were visited with the heaviest flood of the season, and indeed the Maoris say it is the heaviest flood they recollect. The Waiapu river and ils tributaries and other northern streams were full to their banks, and in many places overflowed and did serious damage to early crops on lowlying lands. And still the rains (vials of wrath 0 do not seem all expended, for to-day again we have constant showers. The consequence of these frequent rains has been to scoop out holes or pitfalls at many of the fords hitherto in common use, rendering travelling dangerous and precarious. The Maoris have been holding runangas hereabouts, and the Ngatiporou tribe have fixed upon Tuta Nihoniho as the next candidate for tho Eastern Ma.u-i Electoral District. They say they regret having putin a good man like Mr James Carroll, forgetting, however, that that honourable gentleman was not put in by them, but in spite of their almost unanimous suffrage for his rival candidate, Wi Pere. Commodore Skinner with his fleet, the (Jisborne and Waiapu schooners, is lying windbound off the mouth of fche Waiapu river, and one or both will take a cargo of maize to Auckland. Agriculturists are now busy ploughing. Some potatoes have been pufc in, but planting is necessarily deferred, owing to the wet state of fche soil. On the 13th instant the settlers of Tuparoa gave a ball to the surrounding neighbors. Very numerous invitations were issued, but the weather kept many otherwise willing ones at their own domestic hearths. Eighteen couples however assembled, and those who went are loud in their praises of the kindly, hospitable and profuse welcome accorded, and declare they would not on any account have missed being there. The party assembled in General Sir George Whitmore's wool shed, which was decorated for the occasion. Whangaparoa is a prolific fishing station, a whale boat lately having been filled with delicious moke' fish in a couple of hours.